Som-Inn Port returns to MWC and 4YFN

Again this year Som-Inn Port has offered to its members and innovation agents the possibility to attend the MWC and 4YFN, two important innovation congresses organised by GSMA and held simultaneously in Fira Barcelona, specifically in the facilities of Hospitalet de Llobregat, from 28th February to 3rd March.

We would like to thank ACCIÓ, a member of Som-Inn Port, for giving us the opportunity to participate.

On 28 February, twelve innovation agents of the Open Innovation Ecosystem of the Port of Tarragona attended these two events of reference worldwide in terms of innovation, inspiration and disruption, which place Barcelona at the centre of the international technology scene.

Som-Inn Port Innovation Agents

MWC, in its 16th edition and with the slogan “Connectivity Unleashed”, deals mainly with 5G connectivity, advancing AI, CloudNet, Fintech, Internet of Things (IoT), and Technology Horizon.

4YFN, in its 8th edition, with the slogan “Where startups shape the future”, is a meeting point for innovation, where startups, innovators, creators, leaders, investors, corporations and public institutions come together to connect, discover, create and shape the future. 4YFN brings together investors and companies/startups to connect and launch new business initiatives together.

Som-Inn Port innovation agents

Both events have partly recovered post-pandemic normality, with a considerable increase in the number of companies, startups and attendees participating, compared to the previous edition held in June 2021, thus increasing networking opportunities.

Som-Inn Port innovation agents networking.

Some of the indicators that show the success achieved are: 60,000 attendees, more than 1,900 companies, 600 startups from up to 160 countries, which have exhibited their technological innovations in 7 pavilions.

Digital Catalonia stand

Apart from the stands of the big technological giants and those of several countries and also those of different organizations, where we can find their startups offer, both the MWC and the 4YFN offer an extensive agenda of high-level activities, sessions, conferences and pitches, where more than 1,000 speakers have taken part in the event, and topics such as connectivity, 5G, robotics, mobile telephony, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain and other trends such as virtual reality, the metaverse, and cryptoeconomics, without forgetting the humanistic vision of technology, have been discussed. All of them take place in different spaces set up for the exhibitions in front of a large audience, such as the Discovery, where startups have the opportunity to present their solutions to investors and potential allies.

Startup pitches

4YFN sessions

MWC sessions

The innovation agents of Som-Inn Port were also able to meet again with startups that had participated in various activities of the previous Open Innovation Cycle of our ecosystem.

Some of the Startups that have participated in activities of the past Open Innovation Cycle of Som-Inn Port.

4YFN awards also offer startups that are selected a great window of visibility and help them to expand their fundraising network to develop and commercialise the solutions they offer.

Startups finalists of the 4YFN 2022 Awards

Attending these benchmark events in the world of innovation provides members and innovation agents of the Port of Tarragona Open Innovation Ecosystem with the opportunity to increase their inspiration to be able to carry out new business models in the port area or technologically improve those they are already carrying out at present. At the same time it gives a great opportunity to make connections between the members of the ecosystem and also with the companies and startups that participate.